ISS voice transmissions

12dstring · Post by **12dstring** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 10:15 pm

Thanks,
You do have to make sure everything's set up, focused, finderscopes aligned and all, and that the telescope will comfortably swing from horizon to horizon.

Also, the ability to bend lots helps. I forgot about the red dot finder being at the lower end of my refractor, and ended up bending in all directions, and crawling along the grass as the ISS passed overhead.

Nothing from the scanner during that pass just now either

,

The other Dave

Davej · Post by **Davej** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 10:17 pm

Hi,

Heard nothing on the 11:05 BST pass

. Wasn"t too optimistic though

as it was a very low altitude and had a visible pass of about seven

seconds from my location (that"s assuming there was a transmission).

Dave

dazcaz · Post by **dazcaz** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 7:12 am

12dstring wrote:Yep, I used my refractor this time, as my reflector turned out to be rather uncollimated. So I got sharper images than yesterday:

Holy turds!!!!!
Bloody amazing stuff

I watched it through bins (12X50) but it was nothing more than a blob.

Well done!

Darren

Gregger · Post by **Gregger** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 7:13 am

Top photo of the ISS

Whats the magnification there?

well done

dazcaz · Post by **dazcaz** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 7:17 am

Gregger wrote:I've just heard about 5 seconds of Russian on the 143.625 frequency! as it passed over Burton OnTrent at 9.30

God, they've got a great job!

I've recorded those 5 seconds

My system does seem to be working.
Those 5 seconds was/were the only transmission I heard all day.
I rushed into the radio shack all excited and that was it

Maybe they know we're listening?

There's always tonight.

Darren

Davej · Post by **Davej** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 7:24 am

Hi Darren

I have got a few transmissions from last year (Bill Mcauthur) which

I managed to record on my mobile whilst holding it to the scanner.

I have transferred these onto my computer so I will try this again

and hope I"m successful again this time round. Not sure how to post

these onto the forum though. Perhaps someone can help me out here ?

Dave

12dstring · Post by **12dstring** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 7:34 am

Gregger wrote:Whats the magnification there?

About 300x I think, based on something I read about the toucam having an equivilent focal length of 6mm.

Dave

dazcaz · Post by **dazcaz** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 5:26 pm

Davej,
I'm lucky that my ham radio kit has a line level out, so I get a constant line level regardless of te volume setting.
This output is designed for when we use data modes. It supposed to feed into the computer, but I feed it into my 20gig "Archos Jukebox FM Recorder" running Rockbox firmware.
Rockbox enables the Archos with the ability to trigger recordings when the input level goes over a certain figure. I can leave te radio scanning and the Archos in stand-by waiting to trigger

I too am looking for an audio equivalent of photbox or whatever it's called.
I'm sure that there is one out there. Mebbe someone on here knows of such a place?

Darren

Davej · Post by **Davej** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 9:22 pm

Thanks for that Darren, must be something along those lines out there.

Managed to catch about two minutes of voice transmission (English)

at about 21:52 BST using handheld whilst sat in my car waiting to set off

for home from work. I"m sure it would have been longer with the

base station but I"m not complaining

Thankfully this was the last of my late finishes for a few days so

hopefully I might be a bit more succesfull in the next couple of days

or so

Dave

dazcaz · Post by **dazcaz** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 9:26 pm

Just watched the ISS pass just above Saturn, As it flew over my receiver burst into life.
NA1SS in conversation with HA2SK (in Hungary) on the ham freq 145.8.
This contact finshed with the words,"thanks for the good wishes we're heading home tomorrow, I'm looking forward ".

Then a brief exchange with HA5CH

After this NA1SS calls CQ (looking for contact)... I called back many times and then.................. I gave up as it drifted out of range

Twas great to hear NA1SS calling CQ. I have heard it many times in QSO (contact) with schools etc, but I have never heard it calling CQ. As a ham it was a special time for me

It would have been wonderful to get called back, but my 2M TX (Transmitter) is only low power (5W) and I guess that there were many higher powered stations calling.

There are 4 passes tomorrow. I'll be calling just in case

What pleased me is that the ham operating NA1SS sounded like a REAL ham, not like someone who as just been given a licence (Like GB0MIR, Helen Sharman)

Go to http://www.qrz.com/callsign and type na1ss into the callsign box

A great night watching and a better night listening!

Darren

Davej · Post by **Davej** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 9:32 pm

Hi,

Well done Darren, I could only hear the ISS side of the transmission

(as usual

) (Charles Simoni ).

Thick cloud so didn"t see a thing

Dave

dazcaz · Post by **dazcaz** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 10:11 pm

Dave, I too only heard the one side

To transmit to ISS you need to be on 145.200MHz. This split operation means you'll only hear the ISS.... Just like being in a taxi, you only ever hear base and not the other cars

TX: 145.200 RX 145.800

ISS listens on 145.200 and transmits 145.800
The uplink freq changes when over North and South America,Caribbean, Greenland. Then it's 144.490

I do have another radio sat in a box doing nothing.... It's a lot higher power than my normal rig. A whole 50W ... I might get this installed in the shack and see what happens

I must also remember to switch on split mode too as the uplink freq is 145.200. I did forget for the first couple of calls

This split mode is why you'll only get the one side, even if the ground station is only 1/2 a mile from you.

This is an interesting site
http://www.issfanclub.com/frequencies

Darren

Davej · Post by **Davej** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 10:29 pm

Thanks for that Darren,

Is there no chance of me hearing anything on 145.2000 FM with my

base station ?

I often hear "hams" around the 145 frequency ( don"t know how far

away they are but they don"t seem to be very local

.

I"m not too clued up on amateur radio (only my scanner) so please

excuse my ignorance

Thanks, Dave

dazcaz · Post by **dazcaz** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 10:37 pm

No worries Dave,
Just heard the 23:26 pass and ISS is working many EU hams and he's called one UK ham, sadly it wasn't me

Only a short pass this time.
I have the bit between my teeth now. The new rig is going in and I'll be shouting on every pass.
Sadly if I do make the trip, I don't think that I'll be able to record my end only what I receive...

Darren

Davej · Post by **Davej** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 10:41 pm

Best of luck Darren,

keep us posted, I will certainly be making the most of the next few days

passes

Dave